


Who Knows?

by Starkangejr



Series: I love you, I hate you, I can't be without you [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Green Lantern - All Media Types, Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Light Angst, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 07:33:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29930028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starkangejr/pseuds/Starkangejr
Summary: Bruce has regrets, but the memory of Hal's expression isn't one of them.Day 2: Fake/Pretend Relationship for Batlanternweek2k21
Relationships: Hal Jordan/Bruce Wayne
Series: I love you, I hate you, I can't be without you [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2199198
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22
Collections: Batlantern Week





	Who Knows?

**Author's Note:**

> Day 2!!!!! AAAAAAA writing for this week has been a labor of love and deep stress. I hope you enjoy this piece. It can be taken as standalone, but if you want to view it as part of the Soulmates thread I won't tell you no! I intended to make this one more vague on purpose  
> Alternative summary:  
> Bruce is an idiot and he doesn't want to admit that he's in love

Making the suggestion is a lot easier than executing the act itself.

As much as Bruce feigns having absolute control over everything, unfortunately when it comes to Hal Jordan, he is sorely unprepared. The mission is simple enough, however there is one stipulation that has Bruce grinding his teeth. The club he’s investigating for potential signs of human trafficking and under the table deals has a vetting process right at the front door; couples only and the validating of the relationship would be tested before entry was allowed. Of course he’d already tried to gain entry the unconventional way, no discernable gaps in security without further trouble finding him and during the day, everything was wiped down with methodical precision. There was a lingering thought in his mind that he could try to send the boys--their younger looks and overall attractiveness would probably get them through the door, subverting the couple restriction--however a louder and more protective part of him nixed that idea at the start. He wasn’t going to put them in harm’s way, especially if whoever was in charge had other plans for singles that attempted to enter.

Unfortunately this is his last resort, something he knows Jordan will lord over him for months if he allows it. Bruce simply has to get them through the door and if that means swallowing his pride, then he’ll do it.

“Yo, Spooky, said you wanted to see me?” Hal asks, his voice thinly curious as he floats his way through the cave, making a show of his arrival while he lands nearby.

Bruce sighs, taking a deep breath as he straightens, standing to his feet and solidifying his resolve one last time. Cool blue eyes watch the Lantern through his cowl while it temporarily shields him from closer scrutiny while Hal stops in front of him. “Yes. There’s a recently opened club in Gotham that may have less than savory ties and I require your assistance to infiltrate it. We’ll have to go together and not in our normal gear.” He levels, trying his best to avoid saying anything incriminating just yet. This is already hard enough for him, he can’t give any hints how much it affects him. He walks across the bat cave, expecting Hal to follow because it is Jordan’s nature to get up close and personal whenever they’re alone.

“Oh yea? Why not just take your kids? How many do you even have now, fourteen?” Hal laughs, smirking as he floats after Bruce, confidence ebbing off him in waves. Bruce removes a gauntlet and settles it in its place before laying the other one down as well, he ignores the way Hal hesitates nearby.

“Can’t. None of them are the right age. The more complicated our story, the harder it’ll be to remember. I could have picked Nightwing but he’s off with the Titans right now, and Jason would never agree to it.” Bruce grouses, dreading further explanation why the latter would be a mess all on its own, even as he pushes the cowl from his face and starts properly undressing from his suit.

“Right age? What’s this about?” Hal quirks a perfectly groomed eyebrow at him and all that bravado drops for a second in the face of Bruce’s naked skin. Bruce catches the shocked concern and flustered stutter, his own nerves firing off as he thinks of a way to change subjects before things can be misconstrued; he interrupts immediately.

“It’s for a mission. I’ve already picked out something in your size so get dressed, I’ll explain on the way.”

“Woah woah, hold your horses, I’m not letting you railroad me here! Bruce, what is going on and why are you _naked_?!”

Bruce resists the smirk as he hears the crack in Hal’s voice. He instead supplies a very matter-of-fact answer. “We’re going undercover and will have to assume a certain identity to be allowed entrance...as a couple.”

"A wh-what?! What kind of club is this??"

Bruce pretends he has no idea what implications his words hold or the leaps and bounds that Hal’s mind must be jumping to surrounding their situation. The outfit he’s picked for himself is suitable, he looks nothing like his usual Brucie persona--which means anyone who he might risk recognizing him is likely to assume he just has one of those faces--and the matching bracelets are enough to give subtle hints about their relationship. The rest of the work will have to be on them and Hal’s willingness to cooperate. Bruce leaves a few of his top buttons undone and turns to see Hal’s brain failing to recover after his delivery of the plans.

“Hal,” Bruce reaches out, swears to himself he is simply practicing, getting familiar with the motions of intimacy as well as making sure Hal is used to it all too. He grabs Hal’s impossibly squishable and soft cheeks and holds the man’s face, forcing Hal to look him in the eyes. “I need you to focus."

It shouldn't feel this nice to touch him.

"You're making it very hard to do that. Is this really for a job? You're not-" Hal pauses, making a vague gesture with his hand and Bruce stares, waiting for the other to finish his thought, "you know!"

"I don't. But we don't have time to unpack all that right now. Every second we waste here, an unsuspecting civilian walks into that club and they may never come out. Don't make me call someone else, I asked you to come for a reason." They're impossibly close and only now does Bruce fully grow aware of it. He never does anything halfway and that's exactly what keeps him from pulling away--he wants to feel shocked or ashamed for revealing any ounce of weakness Hal could use to lord over him later--but instead there is only a soft comfort that Hal sees this side of him.

He expects Hal to laugh in the face of his honesty and gets the opposite reaction. The explanation has Hal calming down enough to get dressed and they finish going over the details without further fuss or outbursts.

At the club entrance, Bruce’s hand is tucked into the back pocket of Hal's jeans and he marvels at how comfortable it is to have Jordan's arm loosely hanging over his shoulders. Step one of the plan is going smoothly, they embody the very essence of a couple in love. And of course, if Bruce is pulling from a place deep in his heart that isn’t actually far from how he truly feels, he doesn’t say anything out loud about it. Hal’s laugh is warm and soothing in ways Bruce never allowed himself to experience before, if they get in, he forgets the reason why. A part of him knows he has to focus, that this facade will fade once they’ve gone their separate ways and destroyed the nefarious inner workings of the club.

However Bruce knows that opening this door inside himself was already playing with fire. Now that it’s been shown to him, how easy it is to pull Hal until he fits perfectly against his side, the way Hal leans into every direction Bruce brings him, their bodies never a part for even a second, Bruce knows he’s in trouble. A foolish voice in his head suggests that they make this real, that when he has Hal’s lips against his own, he should push it further, take the extra step to show the Lantern exactly what he wants to do with him. It’s all the wrong reasons telling him he should and Bruce insists he shouldn’t. When the mission is broken, he doesn’t invite Hal back to the cave, he doesn’t kiss him one last time for a heartfelt goodbye, he doesn’t strip Hal of his clothes and rock his world.

Bruce goes home with a simple thank you and leaves Hal’s “Why me?” unanswered.


End file.
